Kenyan tea workers at Unilever increase action for reparations

A group of Kenyan tea plantation workers who say Unilever failed to protect them from ethnic violence have escalated their battle for reparations to the United Nations.

The 218 victims include the families of seven workers who were killed and 56 who say they were raped when armed men invaded the multinational’s plantation near the western town of Kericho during post-election turmoil in 2007-2008.

“There are heartbreaking stories,” said lawyer Daniel Leader of international law firm Leigh Day, which is representing the workers.

“There are many individuals who have suffered such severe physical harm by being attacked with machetes and clubs that they’re unable to work.”

Workers pick tea at a plantation outside Kericho February 6, 2008. Kenyan business leaders on Tuesday urged politicians to move quickly to end a post-election crisis that has killed 1,000 people and threatens progress in east Africa's biggest economy. Image credit REUTERS/Peter Andrews

Unilever, which buys 10% of the world’s tea supply and owns major brands such as Lipton, PG Tips and Brooke Bond, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Anglo-Dutch multinational has previously said the scale of the post-election violence, which killed an estimated 1,200 nationwide, was not foreseeable.

From fashion to food, major businesses are coming under increasing regulatory and consumer pressure to ensure that their global supply chains treat their workers fairly.

The complaint has been made to the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights and the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.

It is not asking the U.N. to consider whether Unilever failed to protect the residents of its plantation but whether it breached its responsibility under U.N. principles on business and human rights to provide a remedy for the harm they suffered.

The victims said threats of violence were spoken about openly on the plantation and reported to management but not acted upon, placing them at significant risk of attack. By contrast, they said steps were taken to protect managers and expatriates.

The tea pickers, most of them from ethnic groups that were not indigenous to the area, were “sitting ducks” when the violence erupted, Leader said.

Some of the women contracted HIV after being raped, while other survivors were destitute, he added.

Workers pick tea leaves at a plantation in Kiambu County near Nairobi, Kenya. Image credit REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Unilever failed to assist the violence and stopped their wages for six months, exacerbating their suffering, victims said.

The victims lodged an unsuccessful civil claim for damages against Unilever in England in 2016.

The company argued that it could not be held responsible for any alleged failings of its Kenyan subsidiary.

But the victims say Unilever has tried to hide behind its corporate structure to block any prospect of a remedy.

Leader said he hoped Unilever would meet the victims and agree to medical and psychiatric assessments to arrange a welfare scheme, adding that the sum involved would be “small change” for the multinational.

He said the U.N. working group could issue a declaration on whether Unilever’s behaviour met international standards and submit a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council highlighting any breaches committed.

Although Unilever cannot be forced to take action, Leader said public condemnation by the world’s leading body on business and human rights would be a big blow to a company that promotes itself as one of the world’s most ethical.

“It’s potentially very damaging reputationally to Unilever if they continue to stonewall these victims,” he added.

Source: Reuters, London